ABSTRACT
The authors studied the landscape components that favour the occurrence of anthrax in the Flooding Pampa grasslands (Buenos Aires province, Argentina). They made spatial locations of anthrax outbreaks diagnosed by registered veterinary laboratories in the study area's zone of influence. As variables for study, they differentiated areas that are flooded for 20% of the time or more from primary and secondary runoff channels. They also identified areas with low-productivity pasture. Logistic regression analysis of farm populations revealed that landscape components favouring the occurrence of anthrax outbreaks are shared runoff channels (odds ratio (OR) = 2.3; confidence interval (CI) = 1.2; 4.7) and > or = 40% low-productivity pasture (OR = 5.4; CI = 3.5; 8.3). Contrary to initial assumptions, susceptibility to flooding was not a significant variable (OR = 1.1; CI = 0.5; 2.1). The authors concluded that the first step in decision-making and ensuring more efficient implementation of future anthrax control and eradication plans was to identify risk variables.
Subject(s)
Anthrax/veterinary , Disease Outbreaks/veterinary , Animals , Anthrax/epidemiology , Anthrax/etiology , Argentina/epidemiology , Confidence Intervals , Floods , Logistic Models , Odds Ratio , Risk FactorsABSTRACT
The objective of this study was to characterize the immune response of Babesia bigemina-infected cows during the second trimester of pregnancy. Twelve animals were divided into four groups (I, II, III, IV); groups I and II were pregnant cows, groups III and IV were non-pregnant cows. Groups I and III were infected with a virulent strain of Babesia bigemina, the doses utilized was 1 x 10(7) infected red blood cells IM. Groups II and IV were noninfected control groups. All the infected animals were severely affected; at days 5-7 post-inoculation (DPI) they showed clinical signs: fever (40-41.5 degrees C), packed cell volume reduction, and parasitemia, and specific treatment was required. The immune response was monitored daily from 0-11 DPI. As shown by flow cytometry analysis, in infected animals the distribution in peripheral blood of the T-cells subpopulations (CD4+, CD8+, gammadelta T-cells) was not affected when compared to the control groups. By ELISA, IFN-gamma production showed a trend to increase in plasma between 6-10 DPI; noninfected cows showed the lowest optical density values. By RT-PCR, a Th1 predominant response was observed, TNFalpha, INF-gamma and iNOs were detected. In contrast IL-4 and IL-10 were weak or undetected. The results of this trial will be discussed.
Subject(s)
Babesia/immunology , Babesia/pathogenicity , Babesiosis/immunology , Babesiosis/veterinary , Cattle Diseases/immunology , Cytokines/immunology , Animals , Antibody Formation , Cattle , Cytokines/analysis , Cytokines/biosynthesis , Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay , Female , Inflammation , Interferon-gamma/analysis , Pregnancy , Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain ReactionABSTRACT
Babesiosis is a tick-borne disease of cattle caused by Babesia bigemina and Babesia bovis and is transmitted by the tick vector Boophilus microplus. In this study, we investigate B. bigemina infection regarding the clinical infection, T cell distribution, and cytokine profile during the acute phase of an experimental infection in pregnant cows.
Subject(s)
Babesia/immunology , Babesia/pathogenicity , Babesiosis/immunology , Babesiosis/veterinary , Cattle Diseases/immunology , Cattle Diseases/parasitology , T-Lymphocytes/immunology , Animals , Cattle , Cytokines/analysis , Female , Pregnancy , Tick-Borne Diseases/immunology , Tick-Borne Diseases/veterinaryABSTRACT
Recent studies have shown that the genes of the gibberellin (GA) biosynthesis pathway in the fungus Gibberella fujikuroi are organized in a cluster of at least seven genes. P450-1 is one of four cytochrome P450 monooxygenase genes in this cluster. Disruption of the P450-1 gene in the GA-producing wild-type strain IMI 58289 led to total loss of GA production. Analysis of the P450-1-disrupted mutants indicated that GA biosynthesis was blocked immediately after ent-kaurenoic acid. The function of the P450-1 gene product was investigated further by inserting the gene into mutants of G. fujikuroi that lack the entire GA gene cluster; the gene was highly expressed under GA production conditions in the absence of the other GA-biosynthesis genes. Cultures of transformants containing P450-1 converted ent-[(14)C]kaurenoic acid efficiently into [(14)C]GA(14), indicating that P450-1 catalyzes four sequential steps in the GA-biosynthetic pathway: 7beta-hydroxylation, contraction of ring B by oxidation at C-6, 3beta-hydroxylation, and oxidation at C-7. The GA precursors ent-7alpha-hydroxy[(14)C]kaurenoic acid, [(14)C]GA(12)-aldehyde, and [(14)C]GA(12) were also converted to [(14)C]GA(14). In addition, there is an indication that P450-1 may also be involved in the formation of the kaurenolides and fujenoic acids, which are by-products of GA biosynthesis in G. fujikuroi. Thus, P450-1 displays remarkable multifunctionality and may be responsible for the formation of 12 products.
Subject(s)
Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System/genetics , Gibberella/genetics , Gibberellins/biosynthesis , Base Sequence , Blotting, Northern , Blotting, Southern , DNA Primers , Gibberella/enzymology , Polymerase Chain ReactionABSTRACT
Evaluamos la inmunogenicidad de la vacuna cubana recombinante contra HBV aplicando el esquema 12 meses, en niños de 1 a 10 años, encontrándose que con la segunda dosis el 98 por ciento tienen seroprotección ) valores > o igual 10 UI/I) y después de la tercera dosis (75 días) el 100 por ciento de los vacunados tienen niveles de anticuerpos >o igual 100 UI/I(AU)
Subject(s)
Humans , Child, Preschool , Child , Vaccines, Synthetic/immunology , Hepatitis B Vaccines/immunology , Drug Evaluation , Hepatitis B/prevention & controlABSTRACT
Evaluamos la inmunogenicidad de la vacuna cubana recombinante contra HBV aplicando el esquema 012 meses, en niños de 1 a 10 años, encontrándose que con la segunda dosis el 98 por ciento tienen seroprotección ) valores > o igual 10 UI/I) y después de la tercera dosis (75 días) el 100 por ciento de los vacunados tienen niveles de anticuerpos >o igual 100 UI/I
Subject(s)
Child , Vaccines, Synthetic/immunology , Viral Hepatitis Vaccines , Hepatitis B/immunologyABSTRACT
Los resultados obtenidos por el método inmunoenzimático cuantitativo de Abbott al primer año de completados los esquemas 012 y 016 meses, con la vacuna recombinante cubana contra la hepatitis viral B, muestran la inmunogenicidad en los vacunados con los dos esquemas, viéndose que el 100 por ciento tienen seroprotección y el 97 por ciento de estos tienen valores >o igual 100 UI/I para ambos esquemas. En cuanto a los valores de las medias geométricas, observamos que no se evidencian disminuciones significativas con el esquema 012, pero sí con el esquema 016, por lo cual sugerimos el uso del esquema 012, debido a su corta latencia, simetría y estabilidad de los valores de anticuerpos anti-HBs
Subject(s)
Child , Vaccines, Synthetic/therapeutic use , Viral Hepatitis Vaccines , Hepatitis BABSTRACT
Este estudio compara la inmunogenicidad (seroconversión, seroprotección e hiperrespuesta), producida por dos vacunas recombinantes contra la hepatitis B (Engerix-B de Bélgica y Cubana), en dos esquemas (012 y 016 meses), empleando los métodos de cuantificación para anti-HBsAg (Abbott y Organón), los cuales fueron también comparados. En el estudio participaron 257 voluntarios, divididos al azar en 4 grupos (dos vacunas, dos esquemas). Resultados: los dos métodos de Abbott y Organon, no presentan diferencias estadísticas significativas. La vacuna cubana muestra una mayor respuesta inmunogénica para dos dosis de vacuna y para el esquema 012. No hay diferencia entre los esquemas 012 y 016 y en el esquema 016 no se ven diferencias estadísticamente significativas con la vacuna Engerix-B. En esta última el esquema 016 muestra mejores resultados que el 012